Every day, life-saving stem cells are simply thrown away after birth. A baby’s cord blood and tissue is a rich source of life-saving, and potentially life-enhancing stem cells.
When Jennifer was pregnant with her daughter, just like all first time mums-to-be she had a lot to think about. One topic that makes a brief appearance in most antenatal classes is cord blood banking – but her doctor friend was rather dismissive of the idea. However, a couple of years later Jennifer was hired by a private stem cell storage company in Hong Kong which set her on the path to where she is today, as the founder of Athena Life.
“Once I found out that cord blood was being used to treat and cure more than 80 diseases including cancer, bone marrow diseases, genetic diseases and blood disorders… I was convinced. The fact that scientists were working on using stem cells to restore hearing was particularly pertinent to me as both of my parents were profoundly deaf and I knew how incredible the gift of hearing would have been to them and our whole family.”
The more she learnt, the more passionate Jennifer became about sharing her knowledge. She wanted to use her time more wisely to help create awareness not only of private storage but also about donation of cord blood to public banks.
“By now I was pregnant with my son and definitely wanted to store his cord blood and using an independently regulated facility in the UK was essential. In the UK the government, through the HTA, oversees the industry, ensuring protection for consumers. I found the best laboratory available. Not only were they the biggest company in the UK (having more stem cell samples than all other UK banks combined) but they actually started with the science – establishing their laboratory and conducting research three years before commercially offering their services. This was very different from the other providers. I wanted to bring that level of service to Hong Kong.”
Athena Life gives parents-to-be the opportunity to ask all the questions they can think of when exploring their options regarding cord blood stem cell storage during an informal one-on-one session with Jennifer or one of her team.
“Saving your baby’s stem cells is a really simple process that could future-proof your child’s health. It’s an exciting area of medicine, but it doesn’t have to be confusing. We make sure that mums and dad-to-be feel as well informed as possible so that they can make the best choice for them and their families.”
Call Athena Life for a no obligation consultation and get honest answers to all your questions. Be empowered to make the best decision possible for you and your children. Tel: 852 8192 8668 / 9634-6096 Email: [email protected] or visit www.facebook.com/Athena.Life
Website: AthenaLifeAsia.com
